How Much Does ProtonVPN Cost?

Proton VPN offers excellent value, and is actually one of the best VPNs in 2026. Its prices are affordable, although the long-term plans are slightly more expensive than some top competitors. That said, the VPN offers an excellent free version, which lets you test the VPN risk-free.

If you’d like to research Proton VPN’s pricing more before you sign up, that’s perfectly understandable. We recommend reading this guide, as it covers how much Proton VPN costs, what subscription tiers it offers, how good its free plan is, if the VPN offers any deals, and more. Keep reading to find out more.

Proton VPN Pricing Quick Overview

How Much Does Proton VPN Cost?

Proton VPN’s prices are affordable, but the starting prices for its long-term plans are a little steep. For example, the two-year plan for its “VPN Plus” tier costs nearly double that of Surfshark’s prices and Private Internet Access’s longest plan.

If you prefer to pay month-to-month, though, Proton VPN is actually more competitive. Its monthly VPN-only plan runs $9.99 per month — and most top VPNs charge $12 or more for a no-commitment plan.

>> Find Out More: How Much Does a VPN Cost?

Proton VPN Subscription Tiers

Proton VPN offers two paid tiers: “VPN Plus” and “Proton Unlimited.” We think “VPN Plus” is enough for most users, as it includes all core VPN features.

“Proton Unlimited” is only worth getting if you want access to additional privacy and security tools. The tier includes access to Proton’s other services, including a good password manager (Proton Pass) and a privacy-focused email service (Proton Mail). The subscription also adds Proton Drive and Proton Calendar.

Here’s an overview of both subscription tiers’ pricing options:

“Proton Unlimited” Additional Services

If you’re interested in Proton’s extra services, here’s a quick overview of the additional tools included in the “Proton Unlimited” tier:

• Proton Pass. Secures your logins in an encrypted vault, autofills login credentials on trusted sites, and alerts you if your data is leaked on the dark web.
• Proton Mail. Provides an encrypted email service that secures your data and doesn’t compromise your privacy with inbox trackers.
• Proton Calendar. A secure calendar app that keeps your schedule private by securing all events with end-to-end encryption.
• Proton Drive. Offers end-to-end encrypted cloud storage and secure file sharing. Also keeps your privacy intact because the service doesn’t access your data.

Proton VPN Money-Back Guarantee

Proton VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all of its plans, which is more or less the industry standard. However, its refund is prorated, which means it only covers the unused portion of your subscription. So, if you cancel and request a refund after 17 days, you’ll only get back the remaining 13 days.

A prorated refund is a bit of an oddity in this space. Most top competitors hand you a full refund when you invoke their money-back guarantee — no questions asked. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, but worth knowing upfront. If a full refund policy matters to you, NordVPN, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access all offer a standard 30-day full refund, while CyberGhost extends that window to 45 days.

To request a refund, you’ll need to use Proton VPN’s support form.1 When we asked for our money back, it took less than 24 hours to confirm the cancellation of our subscription. After that, we received our refund in three business days.

>> Related Reading: NordVPN vs. Proton VPN

Does Proton VPN Offer Deals & Discounts?

Proton VPN sometimes runs promotional or seasonal deals that provide good discounts, so keep an eye out for those. The VPN often runs deals during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and offers other promotions throughout the year.

Our research also indicates that Proton VPN offers discounts for students. It offers a one-year plan for its “VPN Plus” subscription for only $2.82 per month. Normally, the one-year plan for this subscription tier would cost $4.99 per month. So, students get a significant discount.

>> Related Reading: VPN Deals in 2026

Does Proton VPN Offer Deals & Discounts?

Proton VPN sometimes runs promotional or seasonal deals that provide good discounts, so keep an eye out for those. The VPN often runs deals during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and offers other promotions throughout the year.

Our research also indicates that Proton VPN offers discounts for students. It offers a one-year plan for its “VPN Plus” subscription for only $2.82 per month. Normally, the one-year plan for this subscription tier would cost $4.99 per month. So, students get a significant discount.

>> Related Reading: VPN Deals in 2026

Proton VPN Quick Feature Overview

Proton VPN is one of the best VPN services in 2026 because it offers excellent value. To see how good it really is, and if it’s a good fit for you, we recommend reading our full Proton VPN review. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick overview of Proton VPN’s highlights:

• High-end privacy. Proton VPN is one of the best no-log VPNs in 2026, having an audited no-logs policy. Plus, all of its apps are open-source and independently audited too. The VPN also has “Secure Core’ servers that send your data through two VPN servers instead of just one server — and one of the servers is located in a privacy-friendly country.
• Huge server network. Proton VPN has one of the largest server networks in 2026, with locations in 129 countries countries. This makes it simple for pretty much all users to connect to nearby servers to get fast speeds.
• Excellent speeds. Speaking of speeds, Proton VPN is one of the fastest VPNs in the industry.. We regularly run VPN speed tests, and Proton VPN reduces our download speeds by no more than eight percent, and our upload speeds by only four percent. All apps also come with “VPN Accelerator,” a tool that boosts VPN speeds across all servers by up to 50 percent or more.
• Excellent P2P support. Proton VPN is an excellent VPN for torrenting. It supports P2P downloads on servers in almost 120 countries. And some of its apps have built-in support for port forwarding, which increases performance while torrenting by connecting you to more peers.
• Very good streaming support. Proton VPn is a very good VPN service for streaming, as it’s compatible with over 90 streaming platforms. We also think it’s a great pick for anyone looking for an excellent Netflix VPN because it works with over 20 Netflix libraries, such as Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan.
• Great user experience. The VPN offers intuitive apps for all devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV. We installed and used its desktop, mobile, and Android TV apps, and found them very simple to navigate and use.
• Ad-blocking feature. Pretty much all Proton VPN apps have “NetShield,” which is the VPN’s built-in ad-blocker. In our tests, it usually blocked over 90 percent of ads. Plus, it also successfully stopped us from accessing unsafe HTTP websites.
• Excellent free version. As mentioned above, Proton VPN has a free VPN plan with unlimited data, fast speeds, and strong privacy and security. The free version is great for testing the VPN risk-free to check if it’s a good fit for you.

Proton VPN vs. The Competition (NordVPN and Surfshark)

If you feel like Proton VPN isn’t the right choice for you, NordVPN and Surfshark are two great alternatives. NordVPN’s pricing is overall on par with Proton VPN, whereas Surfshark’s starting prices are more affordable. Both VPNs offer a 30-day refund, but it’s not prorated like Proton VPN’s money-back guarantee.

NordVPN is a good option if you’re looking for more high-end privacy and online security. The VPN offers protection against malware-infected downloads, a dark web scanner, and double VPN servers. Alongside Proton, NordVPN also made our list of the fastest VPNs.

Meanwhile, Surfshark is great if you’re more focused on streaming. We’ve tested that it works with over 50 streaming platforms, including over 20 Netflix libraries. It also has a smart DNS, which Proton VPN lacks. This means you can set up Surfshark on a smart TV or gaming console that doesn’t support VPNs and enjoy location-changing capabilities (but no encryption). And, on Android, it has a feature that spoofs GPS data, making it harder for mobile streaming apps to block you.

>> Find Out More: Surfshark vs. Proton VPN